The Wrong Station

Emma lived in a big, busy city, and she was tired of it. So one Friday she decided to visit her old friend Jess, who lived by the sea. She bought a train ticket and packed a small bag.

The train left at nine in the morning. Emma had a book, a sandwich and a window seat. She was very happy. But the train was warm and quiet, and after an hour she fell asleep.

When she woke up, the train was standing at a small station. She looked at the sign: Millbrook. She didn't know this place. Her station, Seaford, was forty minutes away, in the other direction!

Emma jumped off the train with her bag. The next train back to Seaford was at six in the evening. It was only one o'clock.

“Great,” she said. “Now I'm going to lose a whole day.”

She called Jess. “Don't worry,” Jess said. “I'll drive there after work. Just wait for me.”

Emma walked into the town. It was very small, but the streets were full of people and music. There was a festival! There were tables with homemade cakes, old men playing guitars, and children with painted faces.

A woman gave Emma a cup of lemonade. “Is this your first time at the Millbrook Apple Festival?” she asked.

“It's my first time in Millbrook,” Emma laughed.

All afternoon, she tried apple pie, apple juice and even apple soup. She danced with a group of grandmothers. She bought a jar of apple jam for Jess.

At five o'clock, Jess arrived in her old blue car. “I'm so sorry about your day,” she said.

Emma smiled and gave her the jam. “Sorry? This was the best mistake of my life. Next year, we're coming here together.”